Monthly Archives : July 2014

In 2012, Jason Fried at Basecamp wrote a short post that rocked the world of office culture. He proudly proclaimed the secret to a nice, quiet, productive work environment—following library rules in the office. For a blog post of only 100 words, it garnered a surprising amount of comment. In Jason’s view, this approach works very well. Employees are expected to keep quiet or whisper, to avoid interrupting, and to take louder conversations to a different area.

Not surprisingly, what seems like common sense provoked a firestorm of argument. The complaints were fairly predictable:

Instituting library rules infantilizes workers

Without the buzz of conversation, creative collaboration can’t happen

There’s something very wrong in a workplace where everyone is forced to be silent

Silence is more distracting than noise

It would be boring to work in a quiet office

It’s Not as Bad as It Sounds

These comments demonstrate some misconceptions about the realities of properly-implemented library rules in the office. For example, they are really guidelines and not “rules” when you are working with adults. Obviously, you don’t have a supervisor going around “shushing” people. The point is to cultivate an environment where people understand the impact their noise has on their coworkers. No one is asked to be silent, just dial down the overall noise level for a quieter atmosphere.

Here are a few ways to transition to a more manageable noise level:

Provide zones like the kitchen or break area (away from the concentrated work zones) where people are free to socialize at whatever volume they like.

Set up part of the office with lounge-style furnishings for workers who use mobile devices and chat a lot. Those that prefer a heads-down workspace could have cubicles with high walls to shut out noise.

Ensure there are private meeting rooms for teams that need to brainstorm. These spaces should be readily available for impromptu brainstorming. Coworkers should be encouraged to politely request that loud conversations be moved to one of these rooms.

Let employees know that conference calls and other extended phone conversations should take place in phone booths or other enclosed areas to keep the shared workspace quieter and protect privacy.

Post signs asking employees to remember to set their cell phones to vibrate at the start of the workday.

Ensure flooring, ceilings, walls, and desk dividers or cubicle wall panels are selected in materials that reduce noise, making it easier to keep the workplace quiet.

A more polite and respectful workplace doesn’t have to crush creativity. In fact, when everyone has more mental space to think because they aren’t fighting the noise, you’ll find that employees are less stressed and more productive.

No matter how noisy the rest of the workplace gets, introverts can feel comfortable when they have a place to retreat and focus. In this final blog post on Steelcase’s Quiet Spaces, we’ll tour a few more of the options and ideas for putting together an oasis of calm. As always, these examples are shown with clear glass so you can see the interior. The real deal features more opacity to provide visual privacy.

Studio

Being quiet doesn’t always mean sitting in silence. Sometimes, it’s best to stretch or even pace around during bouts of creative thinking or problem solving. That’s why the furnishings in this mini-studio space are sparse. Most of the room is left open so employees can spread out. Yoga mats for exercise are optional (and should be sterilized regularly). The Hosu convertible lounge chair can be used as a recliner or a futon for a quick power nap.

Green Room

The green room in a theater is a place for actors to relax when they aren’t performing. In a similar way, this quiet space serves introverts by getting them “off the stage” for a while so they can just be themselves. This informal destination is designed for socialization that doesn’t feel too overwhelming.

The 90 degree sofa allows coworkers to sit near one another without feeling crowded or being pressured to maintain constant eye contact. The space is designed to facilitate work as well as sharing of digital content. It’s the right spot for alone time or occasional small group activities.

Mind Share

According to the research collected by Steelcase, most collaboration happens in pairs rather than teams. It’s not really necessary to have an entire conference room set aside for these synergistic meetings. The Mind Share space provides room for one-on-one discussions that can be as deep and focused as necessary. It’s bouncing ideas off a trusted partner that can lead to some of the best results. This is also a good place for introverts to brainstorm so they don’t disturb everyone else when they get excited.

The technology integrated into this quiet space includes media:scape to promote active creation and editing of digital content. A whiteboard provides a great surface for visualization—just make sure the ventilation is good enough to deal with the dry erase marker fumes!

That’s it for our coverage of Quiet Spaces. If you do end up incorporating one of these solutions into your office design, let us know how it works out. We’re all ears…

Do you wish the workplace was more like a library? Everyone would speak in hushed tones. It would be assumed that each person was concentrating hard and shouldn’t have their train of thought interrupted. There would even be secluded nooks for those who like to feel completely alone.

It’s probably not possible to retrain employees to be quiet—sometimes work is the right place to be talkative. But it is possible to provide extra peace, quiet, and privacy for workers who don’t appreciate being in the midst of the action all the time. Last week, we looked at a few of the benefits of the new “Quiet Spaces” from Steelcase. Now, let’s dig a little deeper into some of the features and specs.

The BE ME Place

This version of the Quiet Space includes privacy walls that are semi-opaque to allow light in but keep prying eyes out. The Lagunitas daybeds and benches offer comfortable seating with back pillows that can be used to support forward leaning or reclining postures. The benches are power-enabled to ensure users can recharge their device batteries at the same time they recharge their mental ones. Storage doubles as guest seating or as a place to stash personal gear. Introverts can use this location as a place to unwind and catch up on work or brainstorm new ideas.

The FLOW Place

When it’s absolutely critical to get the job done without interruption, a lounge-style setting isn’t necessarily the best option. It doesn’t really feel like sitting down to work. But a private-office setup is ideal. That’s the format provided by the FLOW design. It’s based on the Elective Elements collection, with a workstation, additional worksurfaces, filing units, bookshelves, and cushion-topped storage. This will become a favorite place for resource-intensive work since there’s plenty of space for reference materials to be stored or spread out on surfaces for easy visualization. It’s a hot spot for introverts who are up against a deadline and ready to by super-productive.

Next week, we’ll explore several more implementations from this new Steelcase collection. As it turns out, we still have a lot to say about being Quiet.

The long-awaited day has arrived, and Steelcase Quiet Spaces have been unveiled. This collection of office architectural components was conceived in collaboration with Susan Cain, noted introvert, TED talker, and bestselling author of “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking”. She stands as a calm, firm voice representing employees everywhere who would rather be left alone to do their work. That’s not a small minority. More than 1/3 of workers fall into the introvert category—and their needs aren’t being met in the overly open, hyper-social workspaces of today.

When Susan was talking, Steelcase was listening.

Now, the office furniture giant has made great strides toward creating a more inclusive yet less overwhelming work environment for their shy employees. Quiet Spaces are designed to fill this need even in today’s high-density offices. These spaces meet four basic needs of introverted personalities at work.

Pursuing Excellence

Introverts are consistently the source of some of the best ideas in business—but only when their need to be alone is respected. Employers who provide quiet spaces show that they value what introverted employees bring to the table.

Dialing It Down

Overstimulation is one of the curses of a modern office. Introverts need to have more control over sound levels and lighting to promote comfort and improve their ability to focus.

Enjoying the Setting

Some stimulation is actually desirable for introverts. Organic materials and wood veneers with warm tones and attractive textures help create a safe haven.

Avoiding Prying Eyes

For an introvert, a normal day at the office can trigger stage fright. They feel like everyone is looking at them. Having visual privacy, even for short periods of time, provides a chance to relax. (The glass walls in the photo are used to show the interior of the space, the real walls are more opaque.)

The Concept Starts with Architecture and Technology

These small work rooms are built with V.I.A. (Vertical Intelligent Architecture) for real sound privacy. All frames, skins, and junctions are manufactured with full acoustical seals to keep outside noise out—and inside noise in. The intelligent walls can be equipped with built-in monitors to amplify digital content. Lighting is also part of the package, giving users control over the brightness of their refuge.

What about scheduling? The RoomWizard II gives introverts the option to reserve a Steelcase Quiet Space at a moment’s notice or well in advance. That’s handy for workers who know they need to recharge at a specific time each day, such as after a busy, noisy meeting.

Is 2014 the year to update your work environment with some high tech office toys? Here are a few that range from simple to extravagant. They could change the way you work, the way you interact with technology, and even how you feel.

What a Novel Koncept!

Even as technology becomes more and more portable, we still need to set it down from time to time—especially to charge it. That could mean setting aside a dedicated area on your desk for this to happen. To save space, you could use a KONCEPT LED task light with aircharge wireless functionality integrated into the base. It tops up your phone, lights your work area, and looks cool all at the same time. With the LED bulb, this accessory actually is cooler than an incandescent lamp. Plus it uses a lot less electricity, even when you’re charging smartphones on it all day long.

Hide a Cubii in Your Cubicle

While your mobile device is recharging on top of your desk, you can energize your own batteries with this tiny under-desk workout station. It’s a compact elliptical trainer that’s designed to let you exercise your lower half while your top half is still typing, clicking, reading, or talking. Since the Cubii hides out of sight and doesn’t make much noise, it’s not obtrusive. Your coworkers will probably think you just fidget in a very rhythmic pattern. The equipment interfaces with popular fitness tracking apps via Bluetooth and a mobile app to let you see how far you’ve gone without even leaving your desk.

Nexus 21 TV Lift

While computer monitors have slimmed down considerably over the past 20 years, they can still hog desk space. When desks double as touch-down spaces for mobile workers (with laptops) or collaboration areas for teams, you need to make a clean sweep. A telescoping TV lift lets you hide a flat screen under or behind the desk until it’s needed. This handy device can also be used to conceal larger monitors in conference rooms or lobby areas. Choose a lift that swivels to bring even more flexibility to how you can use spaces for collaboration.

What high tech office toys caught your eye this year? Let us know in the comments.